Sacred Sites of North Korea
North Korea: Sites of Reverence
North Korea's mountainous landscapes hold a special place in the country's narrative.
Paektu Mountain (Baekdu-san)
Korean and Manchu people assign a mythical quality to the mountain and its lake, and consider the mountain to be their ancestral homeland.
Mount Myohyang-san
Legendary home of King Tangun, forefather of the Korean people. Pilgrims visit Pohyon Temple, Sangwon hermitage, Kumgang hermitage, and Habiro hermitage.
Mount Chilbo-san
The name translates as seven treasures, stemming from the legend that Chilbo-san has seven treasures buried in it. The mountain is famous for the Kaesim-sa temple, founded in 826, with many important Buddhist sculptures and a huge 180 kilogram bronze bell.
Mount Guwol-san
Samseong-sa and Woljeong-sa temples.
Mount Song-ak San
Ryongtong-sa temple.
Martin Gray is a cultural anthropologist, writer and photographer specializing in the study of pilgrimage traditions and sacred sites around the world. During a 40 year period he has visited more than 2000 pilgrimage places in 165 countries. The World Pilgrimage Guide at sacredsites.com is the most comprehensive source of information on this subject.